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Golbez
Golbez, also known as Golbeza in the smartphone remake of The After Years party menu, real name Theodor (セオドール, Seodōru?), and called Man in Black (黒衣の男, Kokui no Otoko) before his identity is revealed in The After Years, is a non-player character in Final Fantasy IV and a playable character in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. In Final Fantasy IV, he is an antagonist, a powerful sorcerer who pursues the Crystals. In The After Years, Golbez returns as a playable character. Golbez has also appeared as a playable character in the fighting games, Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, as the villain opposing Cecil. In Final Fantasy IV, Golbez is voiced by Peter Beckman under the pseudonym Anthony Landor. Beckman returned to voice Golbez using his actual name in Dissidia and Dissidia 012. In the Japanese versions of all three games, he is voiced by Takeshi Kaga, famous for his role as the Chairman on the television program Iron Chef. Description Golbez's appearance in Final Fantasy IV is that of a tall imposing man in dark blue and black armor with gold trimmings, and a helmet with tall horns. The lining of his cape has been both red and blue in color, sometimes in the same game - the Nintendo DS release shows Golbez's official render with a blue lining, but his in-game appearance has a red lining. The exact color of his armor has also varied considerably between appearances, from light blue to dark blue to black. In The After Years, Golbez wears a black cloak and kilt with rings of prayer beads on his arm. He has a large, muscular figure and long silver-white hair like Cecil. His concept art depicts him wearing a large black sword on his back, possibly the Ebony Blade, an exclusive weapon for Golbez that can be acquired at the start of his tale. His armored sprites and SD art depicts Golbez with green eyes, while his PSP portrait in The Complete Collection gives him blue eyes. In both his Complete Collection sprite for The After Years and his appearance as a child in the DS release of Final Fantasy IV, Golbez has violet eyes like Cecil. History Early Life Theodor was born to Kluya and Cecilia, making him a half-Lunarian. While growing up, he always wondered why his father was fascinated by the moon and was unaware of his father's origins as a Lunarian. His father would not tell him until he had mastered the arts of magic. Theodor boasted he can cast magic, but when his father asked if he has even mastered the Cure spell, he admitted he cannot. When Theodor returned home afterward, he saw his mother collapsed on the floor. She told him she was alright, and that she is just tired from carrying her next child. Excited about having a new sibling, Theodor went to bed. Later, Kluya was attacked by the very magic he had taught to humans. When Kluya wondered if it was right to teach the people of Earth magic, Theodor assured his father it was, comforting his father in his final moments. As Kluya passed on, Theodor tried to cast Cure on him, but was unable to. The villagers took care of Theodor and Cecilia afterward, and when Cecilia finally gave birth, she died in labor. Shortly after their mother's death, the children are seen alone in their house. While staring at his brother, Theodor heard a voice telling him the baby was the one responsible for taking his mother and father away from him, and that he was worthless for letting it happen. The voice told him he was "an insect birthed from womb of dragon's corpse", and declared his new name was Golbez. Controlled by the voice and filled with hatred towards his brother, Golbez left him just outside of Baron. The infant grew to become Golbez's brother Cecil Harvey. In reality, the voice was Zemus. Taunted by Zemus's voice and ashamed of his actions, Golbez fled civilization. Eventually, combined with Golbez's Lunarian blood and his hatred of his younger brother, Zemus was able to influence his mind and take control of him. Golbez subsequently loses many of his memories and begins to gather the Crystals to summon the Giant of Babil. The Giant would depopulate the planet so that the Lunarians, presumably under Zemus's control or command, could live there rather than stay in stasis inside the moon. Final Fantasy IV Taking control of the four Archfiends Zemus has sent to him, Golbez sends Cagnazzo to assassinate the King of Baron and impersonate him, using the Red Wings to steal the Crystal of Water from Mysidia. Cecil, Lord Captain of the Red Wings, is hesitant over his orders, and is removed from duty when he returns and questions the King's actions. Golbez takes his place as commander and attacks Damcyan, stealing the Crystal of Fire in an attack that kills a young woman named Anna, daughter of a powerful sage, Tellah. Tellah swears revenge against Golbez and sets out to kill the sorcerer at any cost. Meanwhile, Cecil assembles a group of allies, including Yang Fang Leiden and Prince Edward Chris von Muir of Damcyan, and heads to Fabul where the third Crystal is kept. With the warning from Cecil and Yang of the impending attack, the King of Fabul tightens the castle defenses and Golbez is forced to enter the castle himself with Cecil's friend, Kain Highwind, of whom he has taken control of telepathically. After Kain wounds Cecil, Golbez effortlessly strikes down Yang and Edward, taking the Crystal of Air and also abducts Rosa Joanna Farrell, the woman with whom Cecil and Kain are both in love. Golbez takes the three Crystals to the Tower of Zot. Once he receives word Cecil is attempting to climb Mount Ordeals and become a Paladin, he dispatches Scarmiglione to kill him. When this fails, Cecil returns to Baron and kills Cagnazzo, restoring Baron to the peaceful nation it once was. Golbez has already stolen the air fleet and placed Kain in command, who rendezvous with Cecil and offers to return Rosa if Cecil brings them the final Crystal from Troia. Cecil retrieves the Crystal of Earth from the Dark Elf and brings it to the Tower of Zot. Climbing the tower, Cecil hands over the Crystal, but Golbez refuses to return Rosa. Enraged, Tellah pushes Cecil aside and confronts Golbez. After fruitlessly casting his best spells, Tellah sacrifices his life to cast the ultimate magic, Meteor. Although Tellah dies shortly after, Golbez is severely weakened and his control over Kain is broken. Golbez retreats, and strikes down Cecil when he attempts to follow. At this time, Golbez apparently recognizes his brother, and hesitates to deliver the finishing blow. Although Cecil is confused, Golbez announces he will destroy him at another time and leaves the tower. Cecil and his companions enter the Underworld, where Golbez has already gone to find the next four Crystals, the Dark Crystals, of which he already has two. After defeating his minion Calcabrina in the Dwarven Castle, Golbez appears and tells Cecil his plan. Cecil and his friends attack Golbez to no avail, and Golbez summons a Dragon to kill them. Rydia intervenes with her Mist Dragon, defeating Golbez's dragon, and with her assistance Golbez is defeated, but again only weakened, and manages to take the Crystal before escaping. Golbez does not appear for some time, until he again takes control of Kain in the Sealed Cave and has him take the final Crystal. Golbez activates the Tower of Babil to call the Giant of Babil. Cecil and his companions retrieve the airship Lunar Whale and go to the Red Moon, where they meet Fusoya who tells them Zemus is controlling Golbez and returns to Earth with them. On Earth, the Giant begins its attack, and with the help of the combined forces of the Overworld and Underground, Cid Pollendina flies Cecil and his friends into the Giant. After destroying the Giant's core, Golbez emerges and Fusoya shatters Zemus's control of him. Golbez promptly remembers who he is, surprising Cecil with the knowledge he has been fighting his own brother. Golbez and Fusoya climb up the tower to go to the Red Moon and defeat Zemus. Following them to the Moon, Cecil and his companions find Golbez and Fusoya battling Zemus. Although they easily defeat him, Zemus is reborn as Zeromus, and their attacks fail. Golbez uses a Crystal to try and turn the tide, but as he has lived a life of darkness he fails and Zeromus strikes them both down. Golbez gives the Crystal to Cecil, and he and his companions are able to use it to make Zeromus corporeal and defeat him. After the battle, Golbez confronts Cecil with calling him "brother" before the battle, although Cecil does not respond. Realizing Cecil and the people of Earth can't forgive him for his crimes, Golbez decides to go to the Lunar Sleep with Fusoya. He leaves, but Cecil calls out to him and says goodbye before he does, indicating he may forgive him after all. In the DS release, Golbez's armor vanishes as he walks away, showing how he looked before Zemus took control of him. Soon after this, Cecil ascends to Baron's throne and the Lunarians' moon leaves the Earth's orbit. Cecil receives one final telepathic message from Golbez, saying good-bye. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years Golbez is initially introduced to players as the Man in Black, in Rydia's Chapter, who rescues Rydia and Luca by defeating Titan, which had been summoned by the Mysterious Girl. Though Rydia doesn't recognize him, he urges them to travel to Babil, where they eventually unite with Edge and the Eblan Four in Edge's Chapter and fly the Falcon out of the underground. Lunarian's Chapter covers the events of Golbez's return, prior to the events in Rydia's chapter. Shortly after Ceodore departs on his journey to obtain his Proof of Knighthood, Golbez has a nightmare in which Cecil attacks and dispatches him. Awakening among the sleeping Lunarians, he feels uneasy, and senses a strange force coming from the Crystal Palace. Journeying to the surface, he finds the Crystals glowing red. Joined by Fusoya, the two set out to investigate a mysterious meteor impact near Bahamut's lair. At the bottom of the crater, they meet the Mysterious Girl, who demands the Crystals and summons Asura to attack them. When the Girl is defeated, Golbez and Fusoya enter Bahamut's lair and find he has been petrified. Returning to the Crystal Palace, the Crystals are without light in their altars. Mysterious Girl reappears and summons Leviathan. Dispatched again, the two begin to pray for the Lunar Whale to come to them, when one of the Crystals shatters. Another Girl appears, and declares she no longer needs the Crystals. As Fusoya and Golbez rush to protect the Lunarians in the core, Kluya's spirit on Earth sends the Lunar Whale to the moon. Meanwhile, the Crystals continue to shatter, releasing Zeromus's Malice. Zeromus uses Big Bang, and Fusoya teleports Golbez aboard the Lunar Whale, who flies the craft to Earth. Along the way, numerous flashbacks of the events of Final Fantasy IV occur. In The Gathering chapter, Golbez accompanies Rydia, Luca and Edge as they recruit the other party members from around the world and return to Baron to free Cecil from the Mysterious Girl's control. As the party ventures through the Subterrane they encounter the Elemental Archfiends. If Golbez is in the party, the Archfiends will recognize him. Scarmiglione thanks Golbez for accepting him, despite being hideous and unworthy. Cagnazzo expresses joy in seeing Golbez again, claiming it to be an honor. Golbez responds by wishing for Cagnazzo to rest in peace, proclaiming that they may one day share the same fate. Barbariccia begs her former master's forgiveness for attacking him. At the end of the Subterrane, the party is attacked by Cecil's Dark Knight doppelganger. Golbez takes a mortal hit meant for his younger brother, giving Cecil the will to fight on. If Ceodore and Rosa are in the party with Golbez and Cecil, then Golbez will survive the battle, but if they are not present, he dies. Upon the Creator's defeat, Cecil and his party return home. Should Golbez survive, he appears in a flashback in Mount Ordeals along with Cecil, Rosa, Kain and Ceodore where it is revealed he took the Lunar Whale and departed to the stars to find the Red Moon and discover the fate of Fusoya and the Lunarians. As he leaves, Ceodore hopes they may meet again to which Golbez answers "Thank you", the same line he said to Cecil in Final Fantasy IV before departing. If Golbez dies, a scene is witnessed at his grave site.. Abilities Golbez is shown to be a powerful mage capable of teleportation and telepathy, and can take control of minds, although his ability to do this seems limited to Zemus's influence. He is able to critically injure party members out of battle with electric shocks and is somewhat immune to physical or even fatal harm, as he shrugs off Tellah's spells until Tellah unleashes Meteor. This is further demonstrated by his defeat at the Dwarven Castle by Cecil's party, where he says that death will not claim him and is able to seize the crystal with his disembodied hand. This was subverted in the DS release, where he simply teleports away with the Crystal. Golbez is capable of summoning a Shadow Dragon, which is also featured in Dissidia. While in Final Fantasy IV Golbez's abilities are mostly magical, Dissidia expands further upon his powers, where he can summon dark energy and also the CPU's nodes in order to fire beams. Gallery Category:Square Enix Characters Category:Final Fantasy Characters Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System Debut Category:All Characters